Local music scenes are cool, and that’s a fact. Long Island has been fortunate enough to have one of the best thriving scenes, and to prove it, we have Today’s Mixtape Festival at The Emporium in Patchogue, New York. What’s cool about the festival is that there are seasonal “Mini Mixtape Fests” that happen throughout the year. For example, earlier in the Spring there was Spring Mixtape featuring Title Fight, Pianos Become The Teeth, Bane, etc. This summer, however, was much more Long Island oriented featuring bands from all over the island (including Queens and Brooklyn), as well as national and international acts. Some of those local acts include Makeshift, Commonwealth, Cryptodira, Kill Your Idols, Iron Chic, The Movielife, Incendiary, etc. Thanks to a very busy week/weekend before the show, I wasn’t able to capture a few of the bands who started both days off, but believe me that the whole fest was an awesome and fun experience.

Day 1, August 15th, post-rock giants Gates kicked things off with an emotionally driven atmosphere like no other. Although it is better to see them in a smaller, more intimate setting, Gates still managed to blow everyone away with their performance. Following Gates was Giants At Large, a Long Island local. Giants At Large managed to get the crowd going as more and more people were arriving, and it’s always cool sing local bands be supported by everyone in the scene. Up next was Iron Chic, also a Long Island local. Iron Chic are one of those bands that whether you’ve been listening to them for a while or just hearing them for the first time, you’re automatically moving along with the music. One of the best punk bands we have to offer, for sure.

Gates

Giants At Large

Iron Chic

Following Iron Chic was pop punk band A Loss For Words. Sadly, this was their last Long Island show as they are breaking up. What better way to end a music career than to perform alongside incredible acts in a tight-knit community? To get back to the Long Island theme, Incendiary followed shortly after. Incendiary are one of the most well known modern hardcore bands to date, and whether they play big or small venues, they know just how to get a crowd moving. After Incendiary was Crime In Stereo. You guessed it, another Long Island local! What’s funny is that a month prior, Incendiary and Crime In Stereo played a show together at Saint Vitus in the same lineup order as Mixtape Fest. Anyway, this is where the crowd started picking up and getting more involved, as the “big league” Long Island bands started to come on.

A Loss For Words

Incendiary

Crime In Stereo

After Crime In Stereo, old school hardcore/punk band Kill Your Idols took the stage. This was a special occurrence because this year, Kill York Idols reunited for a show at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, then playing a Mixtape Fest preshow on August 14th at Amityville Music Hall. Finally, The Movielife played their first hometown show in 13 years, aside from playing at the Best Buy Theater in New York City earlier this year. By this time, The Emporium was filled with people from Long Island, New Jersey, hell, even people from Vermont came down for this, and it was a great time all around. This was only the first night, mind you.

Kill Your Idols

The Movielife

Let us not forget about the very special after party hosted by Andrew WK after the first successful night of Mixtape Fest! There are parties, and then there are parties. Andrew WK is the king of partying and there is no denying that.

A recent graduate of Nassau Community College with an associates degree in liberal arts, Mark is currently a freelance photographer in the Long Island/New York City area (but travels frequently, especially if the job is worth it), and is constantly churning out riffs with his grindcore band, Blame God (who’s even playing with NAILS in March 2017). Aside from that, he is constantly searching for new bands to check out and attending/photographing shows.